Re: Current status of Ada?

["Ed Falis" <falis@verizon.net>]

On Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:51:38 -0400, <adaworks@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
...
> Note that, when Emmett Paige wrote his famous memo abrogating the
> Ada mandate, the memo was widely interpreted as the equivalent of the
> DoD admitting that Ada was a mistake, and direct abandonment of its
> use for future DoD projects.   Although that was not the intent of the
> memo, that interpretation is now widespread both within and outside
> the DoD.

I don't see how anyone could have been naive enough to believe that the  
memo would be taken differently than it was.  Strains my credulity.

...
> And the Ada compiler publishers seem to be ashamed to admit, broadcast,  
> or
> let anyone know that they have Ada products.

This clearly does not apply to my company: AdaCore.  Ada is unabashedly  
our core business.

> When is the last time that
> Rational
> had any information about its Ada compiler at a conference or  
> trade-show?

Rational always was the biggest trougher in the Ada business - noone else  
was as proficient at making sure no money was left on the table for anyone  
else.  Why would you expect them to spend money on the remaining bottom  
round of a dead cash cow?  (Speaking as an individual here).

> When
> is the last time that any Ada compiler publisher had a booth at a  
> trade-show?

ESC San Jose, SSTC, ESC Boston in September - all this year?  Several  
trade shows in Europe?  AdaCore has been there.

> When
> have we last seen any publicity about the value of Ada for some major  
> project?

Head over to www.adacore.com and check the news items, including many  
recently published articles.

> I have yet to see
> anyone publish
> an article about the Ada 2005 standard -- even in DoD publications.   It  
> is as
> if it never
> happened.

http://www.adacore.com/home/ada_answers/ada_2005

There are 5 relatively recently published articles on that page.

> ...   Maybe we can get someone in the DoD, someone with
> a brain
> in their head who understands software, to reinvigorate and reinstate the
> interest and
> committment to Ada.   I would hope so, but it is a faint hope at this  
> point.

Yeah, really too bad.  One positive sign recently is that the Navy has  
reversed a pending decision not to use open source software, and is now  
encouraging it - which can work well at least for some Ada.  And there  
appears to be a growing recognition within the Open Group that Ada has a  
place for safety and security sensitive systems.  It's going to take a  
long time for it to be completely flushed away.  As you said, there are a  
surprising number of programs still using the language.

- Ed